If there is no Afterlife...

If you have no curiosity about the world or the wonders throughout life, I can see why you'd feel this way.

Where you see stresses and things to endure, I think that life is an adventure to be explored and experienced to it's fullest.

My purpose is to make the world a better place for me having been here. I won't save the world, but I hope that people's lives were easier and better because of me. The thought of an afterlife seems childish and rudimentary and limiting.

In many people's versions of the afterlife, they think that they'll be rewarded or punished based on how they lived their life, and even that seems like a cruel way to live. Either in fear or hope that what you've done is either good enough to get by or living in fear that when you die, you know you're going to an eternity of burning and torture.

I COULD be wrong, but if I'm not, at the very least, I think people will be better off for me having been here. THAT is my afterlife.

a reply to: jaws1975

It's a survival response to trauma. Your body easing the shock of trauma which might let you survive it. Pain and injury create huge chemical reactions in your brain which are responsible for all kinds of interesting effects. Endorphins reduce stress and pain and allow us to experience trauma that would normally kill us without it.

Endorphins also effect how you feel emotionally after trauma. NDE's are very likely to be memories created through the suffering of pain and relief of the flow of endorphins. Hallucinations brought about by a strong cocktail of trauma fighting chemicals in the brain.

originally posted by: lovebeck
a reply to: jaws1975

Because that's not what happens. I believe there is an afterlife. What that is, I have no Earthly idea, but there's 1000s of ppl who have had NDEs out there. Their recollections are quite amazing, actually.

I'm a nurse and can tell you from experience the second someone passes, and for a few minutes after that, there's definitely an "energy" in the room.

It's very hard to put into words, but if you or someone you know has been around multiple people (not family members/friends) when they pass they know what I'm talking about.

Could it be your own emotions being spiked by endorphins and adrenaline from an emotionally traumatic experience that would be causing that feeling?

originally posted by: Aldrin
a reply to: Dark Ghost
If there is no afterlife, I can’t understand why some of us would hold on to this existence. For some of us, it’s great to be here, for others it’s not. But if you were dead you wouldn’t think about the things you missed out on anyways, and then you didn’t have to struggle either.
To die is a win win situation. Only ones that don’t think so, is the ones left behind. I think it’s meaningless to exist just for the sake of existing, when you could be fine just by being dead.

Because some of us enjoy life as it is. Getting up and taking a deep breath and considering the challenges of the day. Seeing a loved one or going to work and enjoying a fulfilling life.

To me, it sounds like torture to not have a reason other than the afterlife to go through life. You're basically forced to go through a life with the only thing to look forward to being the afterlife. And of course, you can't take the early retirement plan because that is a sin and you wouldn't get to your preferred afterlife. If you live that way, I feel even more pity as I do for those who die a slow death of starvation or cancer.

Life is what you make it. If your current way of doing things gives you no joy, try doing things differently. Copy people who seem to have a great life. Emulate their behavior and see if it gives you joy. It might be scary, but then again, maybe it'll save you a long, hard, and unhappy journey.

Years of reading ATS but it is very rare I dare to reply. However all the comments are so unique (in a full spectrum of ideas) it seems some infinities are larger than others. The space between this ( ) can be forever divided. So can the space in your room or a Universe. From our relative position each space-time frame is a vastly different size, yet each is equal in being unlimited by adding any minus point 0 to .000001 division. Infinite possibilities include all possible answers. The fun paradox to infinity is that it must include being non-infinite...because if there is anything infinity can not include then it is not truly infinite. A non-infinite singularity point is contained in each infinity. A point of absolute nothing....but of course that is still something.

Dark Ghost we know this universe is mostly made of nothing. Dark matter....but that does not matter any more than the empty space in each atom. Matter is where we exist. What really matters is your personal quest and question to life, after life, eternity, how big is your infinity ? How much life in your multi-verse? Trillions of grains of sand each containing a universe that did not result in conditions creating life. Yet there are also trillions of galaxies that might support temporal conditions for life. Quantum waves & dimensions unfolding. Rumor has it there is a lot out there. Maybe even more way down in these cyber byte electrons. Want to go for a ride ? Seriously look inside. Just dying to share the secret of death. I'm ancient but I'm still here. If I don't survive getting hit by another "something" I'll be looking forward to where your at 11, 11 next year !! a reply to: Dark Ghost

First time posting, and nothing close to a physicist, philosopher, or any type of expert. This is something I have been kicking around for a few years and would love to hear from some experts, but I do believe there might be a chance for an "afterlife" for one reason... Infinity.

Now, let me start w/ Energy, and quote another individual that summed it up very nicely...

"Energy can never be created or destroyed but the energy that was your thoughts no longer exist in a coherent way. The energy is no longer a thought."

The main point, energy cannot be destroyed, but stay with me, because we are getting to Infinity.

Infinity is complicated, but luckily, we have the Infinite Monkey Theorem to break it down for us, much more evolved apes. The theorem states, that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare.

The monkey in this example is a metaphor for the universe, in that, it creates an infinite amount of possibilities in perpetuity/infinity. The work of Shakespeare is another metaphor in my example for energy.

SO, we have energy that can never be destroyed and we have infinity, in a supposed infinite universe or universes, with infinite possibilities. Who is to say that the monkey, or universe, will not create a work of Shakespeare or... YOU. Perhaps, the "energy" that has made you, will one day be recycled into another version of you in the distant/infinite universe(s) Regardless, all the particles, atoms, cells, ENERGY, that make you will one day coalesce, once again, into something with conscious thought.

Now, the big question is, is the universe infinite? If so, we might have a shot at living again

Row Row Row your boat, gently down the stream.
Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily,
Life is but a DREAM.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

ok lets turn it around :

Who in their right mind would want to endure the stresses and trials of life if there was no chance of a life after this one?

SHOULD read :

Who in their right mind would want to endure the stresses and trials of life if there was a chance of a better life after this one ?

Funny. 2 of us writing about infinity at the same time !! Thanks because your post covered all the monkey biz I wanted to include!! Simple math fact = anything on any scale can be forever divided. So YES there (probably) is an infinity in everything so long as it can include the paradox of also being non-infinite. Talk about the ultimate odd feedback loop. figure 8. O what a singular wonderful paradox to deal with in a cosmic crunch. Is life even fully alive yet? What is yet 2 evolve ? Did eternal energy create this time to question before? Endless flux of expression... exploring ways to experience many aspects of itself :+) a reply to: WyzeOwl3

I am pretty sure I have been there,

And when I was there, I laughed because I realized that our time here really is an instant - Just like a quick life on a video game, it just seems much longer from our current perspective -

So all those worries, all that suffering, the troubles - it's all an illusion, it's all a game to experience lessons that we have already learnt - but choose to learn them again.

That's the big joke, that why I laughed - because I had tricked myself, I let myself forget that this isn't real.

If there is no after life then all instances of after life experiences since the beginning of time are false, a lie, hallucination etc...

Experiences such as, NDE,s, ghosts, visions, poltergiests - You get the picture.

If just one of these experiences, yes just one, are true then life does indeed continue in some form after death.

For this not to be true then of course every single "Event of Paranormal" ever recorded in history is in fact a lie, deception etc.

And i find it rather interesting that the word Life sounds like Lie. The ancients knew this place wasn't real, such as the Australian tribes who called this place 'dream time'. Humanity have become skewed and have forgotten what they are. Right now, the world is in a trance like state. And only a fraction of what we believe is truth, actually is, and the rest, just bells and whistles to keep us trapped in the split
second we perceive as thousands of years.

It's nothing short of interesting eh?

Jesus said: My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? a reply to: Dark Ghost

originally posted by: Xeven
Belief in an afterlife originates in your brains survival mechanism. It is very scary to consider your "self" as having a permanent end. It is also easier to mentally recover from the loss of life if you can believe your loved ones continue on after they pass.

The reality is that there is no "point" to your individual life and never was or will be. If earth were wiped out by the sun tomorrow and all life extinguished, the Universe would continue on without us, never missing our existence. The only point to life exists in your brain, your mind, your "self". To that "self" life has meaning while you exist and that is all.

Earth and it's inhabitants are infinitely insignificant to the Universe. We could one day evolve possibly to a point where we might control the Universe and our own existence but there is no guarantee in that.

There is no objective evidence to give us any reason to believe we continue on after we die. Will the energy that is your thoughts continue after life? Sure the energy that makes up your thoughts will continue but without a brain to contain and manage them they wont exist in any meaningful coherent way and there will no longer be a means to recognize "self" without your living brain. That's like saying your the TV show you just watched continues to exist after you turn off the tube.

Enjoy the life you got. That is the one and only point to it.

You talk as you know for sure what happens "the reality is".
I wish you your ignorance a happy Christmas.

Woo Hoo! Much more eloquently written than my post a reply to: MARKjAUSTIN

i think your taking the afterlife abit to seriously, if there is an afterlife, cool, we'll cross that bridge when it come... but to think that life isnt worth living just because there "isn"t an afterlife.. i would have to say that a post like this makes me think you could have borderline despression ... the fact that there might not be an afterlife should make you want to enjoy life all that much more? not give up on it,...that's a really really twisted way of looking at life..a reply to: Dark Ghost

a reply to: Dark Ghost

This question has, and continues, to weigh prominently on my mind. I've been through phases in my life where I had almost unquestioning belief in an afterlife of some form, and then as if against my will, swung over to the side of rational/skeptic that states "there is no proof" and thus can't or most likely does not exist. This logical progression occurred purely as a result of my mind questioning everything and trying to formulate conclusions ( and despite personally having some seemingly "paranormal" experiences.)

But recently during yet another moment of contemplating this question, something occurred to me. It involves turning the question around, but not in the same way as someone who posted earlier about how the idea of "no afterlife" providing even more incentive for a full and satisfying life.

My version of turning the question around is this: What if humans knew without a doubt, based on verifiable, repeatable scientific proof and empirical observation, that a blissful afterlife, or even one bearing similarities with this life where lessons are continued and evolve (presumably over an infinitely cyclical timeline) were a known and accepted fact, undeniable? What are or would/could be the implications of that?

I would predict that the expression "life is cheap..." (when talking about unfortunate examples from human history where egregious disregard for human life has occurred) would be dwarfed by exponentially greater abuses by humanity, against humanity. This would serve as the *ultimate* justification for murder, and on a mass scale, systematically, motivated by potential reasons too long to list. Here is a quick sampling:
1) Laziness - I disagree with or don't like you, so I will just kill you.
2) Scientific advancement - We need to advance our knowledge of medicine or genetics, and need plenty of human subjects to perfect that knowledge.
3) Entertainment/Pleasure - Like violent video games, or the gladiator death battles of the Colosseum...

The idea being that in any of the above or countless other potential scenarios, they idea of human life as being "expendable" might seem easier to entertain, if life after this one is common knowledge.

And as an extension of this, the existence of an afterlife would imply that we would derive from a higher power (Creator/God/The Tao/Source or whatever name or concept you prefer) who presumably knows our nature exceedingly well.
If so, would we be designed/created/allowed to evolve to a point where we would have absolute and unquestioning knowledge of an afterlife to serve as the ultimate justification for the taking of human life, or wasting of our own individually, because we have the ultimate safety net?

My guess is probably not, or not until our personal or collective Consciousness has evolved to the point of transcending our violent nature.

And the real point I was trying to make here would simply be that this line of reasoning somehow makes me feel like the difficulty involved in knowing whether or not life after death truly exists, might be intentional, and if so somehow serves as additional support for it existing.

And of course there are the many stories of OBEs/NDEs that have been reported, like this one that broke just 2 days ago. I know there are alternate possible explanations for many of the things that happen in these cases, but it is fairly hard to explain how people can be clinically dead and experience complete lack of blood flow and breathing for 45 minutes, recall an experience of being told by a deceased loved one their time has not come, intentionally reenter their body and spontaneously resume a heartbeat and breathing (45 mins later) without any injuries, bruises, damage of any kind. Even the Doc and medical team were pretty shaken.

a reply to: grahag

I can see why my post would make you feel sorry for me. I think you missed my point (and I can see why)
My point is; Afterlife is not necessary something you believe in because you need comfort.
Dying is easy, living is harder.
If the afterlife means you have to come back in some form to live again, that’s scary. Dying WOULD be easier, but it wouldn’t be half as exciting as it would be to experience some sort of other dimension.
The thought of an afterlife make me feel there is a reason for everything. And make me see my life more objective than before. God is a comedian, playing to an audience; too afraid to laugh (Voltair) this is so true. I can see how everything that’s ever happened to me hangs together, and things that don`t make sense now, will, later  I had a few experience in my life, when things happened (not always good or bad) But so stupid ironic, that it felt like the universe gave me a warm hug.
IF there is no afterlife, that’s not a bad thing. You just die, no harm done.

I DO think life should be like an adventure. The sad thing is, people don’t live like it’s an adventure. And sometimes it’s hard to fit in this world when you don’t see it like others do. A lot of people follows the recipe of life and don’t understand how you see things. And if there is no reason to exist, why do you exist? Especially when you have a crappy life.

I would never feel sorry for myself that would be very ignorant when I’m on of the luckiest 10% of the population. Im the one who always say that things will be ok.

"Mass of energy is fixed. Energy can neither be created or destroyed, it only changes it form."

By the above law of thermodynamics, when one dies, the energy, or the atma, the soul, leaves the body to changes it form. It can change into electrical energy, heat energy, mechanical energy, sound energy, light energy, or be reborn as a human energy, plant energy, animal energy, non-living energy or living energy. Now here is where it gets tricky: this changing the form of energy is actually dependent on how one has conducted their life during their time here. What the East calls 'karma'. Hindu philosophy says it is actually difficult to go back to any other form once the human form is attained. It takes millions of years of rebirth to achieve the human form and there is no going back in the food chain so to speak. Conditions within the human form change due to one's vibrations, actions, thoughts, circumstances and how they have pretty much played their innings with the hand they were dealt with.

There is after life for sure. Personally things have happened which can only be explained by believing in the paranormal. They are all available to us - it depends on what one believes.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

I don't have time to read the whole thread. I'm probably saying something that has been said before …

The love for family makes your point a moot one. Regardless of afterlife or not, I need to stick around to provide for the well being of my family. Your point of view seems to be very limited to yourself.